The Syosset Chamber of Commerce welcomed the new Sahara Grill Fish and Bar, the newest addition to the restaurant scene in Syosset, on Jan. 12 with a grand opening luncheon and ribbon cutting ceremony.

Owners Avi Sheena and Aodi Zilkha opened the Sahara Restaurant about one month ago to offer Syosset a family-oriented restaurant.

Sahara, which offers Mediterranean/American Kosher cuisine, featuring Shish Kebab, beef, lamb, poultry, fish and a vegetarian menu, also offers a video arcade for children. "We want to make the restaurant a place for families to come and eat and enjoy," said Avi's wife Orna Sheena. "They can eat and play at the same place." Although no alcohol is being served at the restaurant at this time, the owners are waiting for their liquor license and expect to receive it soon.

The owners know the importance of a family-based restaurant - The Sheenas have three children and the Zilkhas have four, the eldest of whom is also a manager at the store. David Zilkha, a 21-year-old student, manages the restaurant in addition to studying at Hofstra University. Phill Younai is also a manager at the store and he primarily handles the service tasks.

The owners are not new to the food industry and bring with them over 20 years of experience. Aodi has been involved with Beth Torah Caterers located at Temple Beth Torah in Westbury and in Forest Hills Jewish Center for many years. Aodi now distributes his time between the catering business and the restaurant.

"This restaurant is a wish that came true for both Avi and Aodi," said Orna. " They both wanted to do some Middle Eastern food and food from all of the regions as we all come from various locations in the Middle East. We wanted to find a way to combine all of the different foods from the region."

The restaurant, which is located at 140 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, directly across from Kmart, is open Monday - Friday from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday from 5 - 11 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 - 9 p.m. Although reservations are not required, the owners recommend that patrons make reservations for weekend visits to the restaurant, as that is their busiest time.

The Chamber of Commerce held a luncheon at Sahara's to welcome the owners to the area. This gave members of the Chamber the chance to network and mingle and it gave the owners a chance to introduce themselves to local merchants. Please call 677-0081 for reservations.